The Most Valuable Lesson at AthleteCon 3.0 Wasn't About Brand Deals

When I arrived in Las Vegas to cover AthleteCon 3.0, I expected to see two things everywhere: content and competition.

AthleteCon is an annual convention hosted by Sam Green, who is a former NBA dancer and ESPN editor turned NIL intermediary extraordinaire. The event brings brands and NIL-era athlete content creators together under the same roof (this year's roof being that of Vegas' Sahara hotel) to facilitate brand deals in person.

Several dozen brands and more than 200 creators attended AthleteCon 3.0. Some athletes were still in college sports while others had recently graduated. For two days, brands and creators mingled on panels, crossed paths in the Sahara lobby, and ideally laid the groundwork for NIL partnerships.

These face-to-face interactions during AthleteCon's first two days opened the door to deals. But the key to actually putting pen to paper arrived on day three: through content creation competitions.

Brand Deals Brought Content Creators to AthleteCon

After AthleteCon's convention element ended, every creator had three hours to create, edit, and publish mock brand deals on their respective social media platforms. Each brand then reviewed the content created on their behalf and selected winners, whose reward was a brand deal.

These brand deals were the reason everyone was there. For the athletes, this was their chance to take a meaningful step toward turning their content creation from a passion to a profession. One of the more compelling aspects of the NIL era is that even if professional sports don't work out, time spent creating content in a college jersey can still set them up for success if that time is well spent.

Some brands were looking to establish a foothold in the NIL space, while others were expanding their presence within it. While major names like Meta, TheLinkU, and BareBells were there, most brands were still relatively small, as were many of the creators. Even so, AthleteCon represented a significant milestone on both sides, especially for creators who hadn't yet landed brand partnerships.

Sam Green with content creators at AthleteCon | AthleteCon

The stakes were still high, in other words. This is why I expected to see a lot of competition between athletes who've been competing in their respective sports for all their lives. The current NIL environment has a cutthroat reputation for a reason.

And there was competition. Hundreds of athletes produced thousands of social media posts in hopes of growing their platforms and landing a brand deal.

How Collaboration Became AthleteCon's 3.0's Defining Theme

But alongside content and competition, a third C stole the show: Collaboration. Off-screen, athlete creators spent several days together in Las Vegas, building relationships with peers who shared the same ambitions and interests.

Collaboration also extended to the content produced. Many posts featured multiple athletes, and throughout the event, I watched creators exchanging content ideas, offering feedback, and sharing lessons learned from the rollercoaster ride of building an audience.

I spoke with Sam Green about this, and she explained why collaboration is critical for sustaining a modern NIL-focused platform.

"One of the most important lessons athletes need to learn is finding the balance between competition and collaboration. Athletes are conditioned to compete. They’re used to fighting for playing time, rankings, scholarships, and championships. But while that mindset helps them succeed in sports, business works a little differently," Green said.

"But you also need to understand that business success rarely happens alone. Just like a great team wins together, great brands are built with the support of others. You need mentors, partners, teammates, and experts who can help fill the gaps in areas where you may lack experience."

"The athletes who thrive in this space are the ones who learn how to compete when necessary, collaborate when appropriate, and continuously evolve their personal brand," Green continued.

David Puentes, Head of Agency at Crowdsurf, echoed Green's sentiment.

"Brands are deciding between talent, but creators and athletes can often benefit from being part of the same ecosystem and supporting one another," Puentes said.

AthleteCon reflected that dynamic in many ways. The competition existed, but it rarely felt cutthroat. Most often, athletes were seen exchanging ideas, appearing in each other's content, and helping peers navigate an industry many were still learning in real time.

When AthleteCon concluded with its award show, some brands improvised extra opportunities for multiple athletes because the strongest content had been done collaboratively. They noticed the same thing I did and decided to reward it.

Sam Green with creators at AthleteCon | AthleteCon

Only a fraction of the athletes in attendance won an award and secured a brand deal. Even fewer athletes present will be able to build and monetize a platform big enough to make content creation their full-time living. Even so, the experience provided a blueprint for building an audience and creating content that could eventually support a career.

Many others will move into adjacent industries, applying the skills they developed through content creation long after their playing careers end.

The relationships forged among athletes at AthleteCon may or may not have led directly to NIL deals. But just like the lessons athletes take from playing college sports, the connections and collaborative skills developed there will prove valuable long after leaving Las Vegas.

The biggest thing I’ve learned at #AthleteCon isn’t about competition. It’s about collaboration.

The most successful athlete creators are helping each other grow instead of competing for attention pic.twitter.com/vGFpEp83gM
— Grant Young (@GrvntYoung) June 5, 2026

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